Guide device for a sliding door

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a guide device for a sliding door guided by means of a carriage in a guiding rail. The guiding rail has a channel disposed on its inside, in which the carriage is guided, and is provided with two profile parts releasably connected to each other.

The invention relates to a guide device for a sliding door, which device is fastened at a sub-construction.

Such guiding devices are well known. Generally, they consist of a substantially circular guiding rail, with a carriage, respectively rollers running on the upper side thereof. The carriage, respectively the rollers are connected to the sliding door via holding elements. Due to structural requirements, these holding elements can be provided only on one side of the guiding rail. This circumstance leads to an off-centred suspension of the sliding door and is therefore unsatisfactory from the technical point of view. In addition, the overall suspension of the sliding door is unsuitable from the visual point of view, as the rollers and the holding elements are visible from the outside and they can only be covered at very significant expense.

A device of this species according to the generic part of patent claim 1 is known from DE 299 19 191 U1. The prior art roller rail profile substantially consists of two profiles, which are homogeneously united to an integral profile forming a channel, which enables the rollers of a carriage to run therein. The running surfaces of the rollers practically form a first undercut of the profile; as the profile is designed to be mounted at a ceiling construction located above the profile, two undercuts are provided, in a side-by-side disposition, above the channel accommodating the carriages, which undercuts accommodate the attachment members for the connection to the ceiling construction. As a prerequisite, the known roller rail profile requires mandatory accessibility from the upper side of the ceiling construction to enable the insertion of the attachment members into the undercuts provided for this purpose.

The document DE 297 02 221 U1 describes a sliding door, which is slidably disposed at a wall of a building. The roller rail for the sliding door is formed as a circular tube, which, in the lower portion thereof, presents a slot for the passage of the carrying members of the sliding door. The circular shape of the guiding rail and an additional joint, disposed between the sliding door and the building wall, on the one hand, should avoid penetration of contaminations into the guiding rail and, on the other hand, achieve sealing of the sliding door in relation to the building wall, and moreover the easiest possible cleaning of the guiding rail.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to create a guide device according to the species explained above, which provides a technically and visually appealing conception for a guide device and is particularly suitable for mounting at a sub-construction, which may consist for example of a glass wall extending parallel to the sliding door.

This problem is solved with the characteristics specified in patent claim 1. Advantageous further developments result from the dependent claims.

According to the invention, a first undercut, guiding carrying rollers of a carriage, and a second undercut, being disposed off-set by 90°, are disposed at the guiding rail, the guiding rail, in the region of the first undercut, being formed as a profile part having a curved front face, and, in the region of the second undercut, as a profile part having a planar back face, and in that the profile part presenting the first undercut is releasably connected to the profile part presenting the second undercut. Therefore, the sliding door can by suspended in the centre, such that the sliding door and the suspension are not affected by any lateral moment. In addition, the carriage is covered by the guiding rail such that only the guiding rail is perceived from the outside. The latter can be designed visually appealing and thus become an inconspicuous part of the overall impression. The result is a suspension of the sliding door which is satisfactory from the technical, as well as from the aesthetic point of view. The releasability of both profile parts in particular allows for an installation, for example at a walling, which means a sub-construction, which is inaccessible from the rear side.

With the intention to guarantee a reliable guiding of the carriage in the guiding rail, the channel is provided with an undercut at the open end thereof, oriented to the underside, the undercut forming two lateral running paths for the carriage, which paths are located in the region of the open end. In this way, an additional narrowing of the guiding rail is achieved in the lower portion, such that penetration of contamination into the channel of the guiding rail can be largely avoided.

The guiding rail is formed as a profile part having a planar back face and an arcuate-shaped curved front face. The planar back face of the guiding rail allows for a tight fit at the lateral panels and the rounded front face enhances the visual impression.

One characteristic of independent importance will become apparent through the fact that the carrying rollers of the carriage are supported at an axle, penetrating a cross hole of a carrying body of the carriage, which axle is restrictedly pivotable in vertical direction about an axle which passes through the centre of the carrying body in axial direction of the carriage. A reliable support of respectively both rollers of a rolling carriage on both guiding paths is achieved with this measure; thereby avoiding an oblique position of the sliding door, if, for example due to construction tolerances, not both rollers of a rolling carriage are permanently supported in the assigned running paths.

In order to be able to reliably attach the guiding rail at the lateral panels, an undercut, extending in the longitudinal direction of the guiding rail, is provided in the back face, which undercut serves to accommodate attachment members for the guiding rail. This undercut allows for the disposition of attachment members at an optional location and thus allows for easy adaptation to structural conditions.

Each attachment member presents a sliding block engaging with play into the undercut, such that tolerances can be easily and quickly compensated.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the sliding block cooperates with an attachment bolt penetrating the lateral panel, which bolt, on the side opposite to the guiding rail, is held in a bearing block sitting close to the lateral panel. This measure allows for a reliable bearing of the guiding rail at the lateral panels, which preferably consist of glass.

With the intention to allow for tolerance compensation in a simple way, advantageously, the attachment bolt is eccentrically disposed or formed as an eccentric.

According to an advantageous further development for covering the bearing blocks, a common cover strip is provided for the bearing blocks, which is preferably snapped onto the bearing blocks.

To avoid penetration of dirt or other contamination into the open ends of the guiding rail respectively the cover strip, the ends of the guiding rail and of the cover strip can be closed off by profile end caps. The visual impression of the guide device is thus additionally enhanced.

The carriage carrying the sliding door advantageously presents two cheeks sitting laterally at the sliding door, which cheeks are penetrated by carrying bolts in the region of both ends of the cheeks. Therefore, a reliable support of the sliding door at the carriage is guaranteed.

According to an advantageous embodiment, in the center region between the cheeks, the carriage presents a carrying body, which accommodates an axle at the ends of which carrying rollers are supported, running on the lateral running paths in the guiding rail. A good and reliable introduction of forces into the guiding rail results from this construction.

The carrying rollers are advantageously seated in apertures of the cheeks and are substantially flush with the exterior surfaces of the cheeks. This allows for a good lateral guidance of the carriage in the guiding rail.

According to another advantageous further embodiment, the downwards oriented surfaces of the cheeks extend in an arcuate-shaped way to the outside, when seen from the perspective of the carrying roller. It is therefore avoided that, with settling of the overall construction, there might be contact between the carriage and the guiding rail and thus stalling during the translational motion.

According to a preferred further development, the guiding rail is fastened at two lateral panels disposed laterally in the vicinity of the sliding door, which panels are preferably made from the same material as the sliding door, particularly from glass. Especially with a sliding door being part of a glass front, the inventive construction provides a guide device, which positively influences the overall visual impression.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one preferred embodiment example, in which

FIG. 1 is a view of a glass front comprising a sliding door guided at the inventive guide device,

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the inventive guide device,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the guiding rail, which is part of the guide device,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inventive guide device;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bearing block,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cover strip,

FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views of two profile end caps,

FIGS. 9 to 11 are perspective views of the carriage,

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a stopper,

FIG. 13 is a cross-section through a guiding rail in the region of the stopper,

FIG. 14 is a view of the sliding door in the region of the carriage,

FIG. 15 illustrates an embodiment according to FIG. 2 with a guiding rail executed in two pieces,

FIG. 16 shows the carriage comprising rollers which are restrictedly pivotable in a vertical direction, and

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the roller axle, which is restrictedly pivotally supported.

The inventive guide device for a sliding door is illustrated in all details in FIGS. 1 to 17.

FIG. 1 shows a glass front consisting of two lateral panels 1, 2, an opening, which can be closed by a sliding door 3, and an overpanel 4 provided above the sliding door 3. The sliding door 3 is disposed in a plane in front of the plane of the lateral panels 1, 2, und therefore overlaps the opening. A guide device 5 fastened at both lateral panels 1, 2, and possibly likewise at the overpanel 4 extends above the sliding door.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section through the guide device 5 in the region of one of the lateral panels 1, 2, and through the sliding door 3, whereas in FIG. 3 a perspective view of a guiding rail 6 is shown. The guiding rail 6 is provided with a channel 7 extending in the longitudinal direction thereof and open to the underside. In the region of the open side thereof, this channel 7 is provided with undercuts 8 extending laterally into the channel 7, the inner surfaces thereof serving as the guiding paths for the carriages 9 carrying the sliding door 3. The inner surfaces of the guiding paths can be executed even or crowned.

The guiding rail 6 is equipped with a planar back face 10, with which the guiding rail 6 sits close at the lateral panels 1, 2. An undercut 11, into which attachment members 12 are supposed to engage, is provided in the back face 10 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the guiding rail 6. The front face of the guiding rail 6 can be rounded for design reasons and for reducing material.

FIG. 4 shows the guiding rail 6 including the associated attachment member 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment member 12 consists of two sliding blocks 13 engaging with lateral play into the undercut 11, of two attachment bolts 14 cooperating with the sliding blocks 13 and penetrating the lateral panels 1, 2, and of a bearing block 15 accommodating the attachment bolt 14, which is illustrated in detail in FIG. 5. In the installed condition, the guiding rail 6 is sitting with the back face 10 thereof at one side of the lateral panels 1, 2, whereas the bearing blocks 15 are sitting at the other side of the lateral panels 1, 2, close to them.

The attachment bolts 14 can be disposed eccentrically or they can be provided with an eccentric to compensate tolerances and in order to guarantee a perfect alignment of the guiding rail 6.

Only one attachment member 12 is illustrated in FIG. 4, although it is obvious that over the length of the guiding rail 6 several attachment members 12 have to be disposed, spaced apart from each other.

The bearing blocks 15 of all attachment members 12 can be covered by a common cover strip 16, shown in FIG. 6, which is preferably snapped onto the bearing blocks 15 (see FIG. 2). In addition, the cover strip 16 is penetrated by one of the attachment bolts 14, whereas the other attachment bolt terminates in the bearing block 15.

The attachment bolt 14 penetrating the cover strip 16 is supported in a bushing 17, which itself is supported in the cover strip 16. The bushing 17 is additionally secured by a screw 18, which penetrates the bushing 17 and terminates in the bearing block 15. The attachment bolt 14 penetrating the bushing and the screw 18 are provided with a common decorative cap 19. Furthermore, the attachment member 12 presents spacer sleeves 20 surrounding the attachment bolts 14. In addition, the open ends of the guiding rail 6 and of the cover strip 16 can be closed off by profile end caps 21, 22, which are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Stoppers 23, which will be explained in detail hereinafter in connection with FIGS. 12 and 13, can be used in the guiding rail 6 for limiting the translational path of the sliding door 3.

The carriages 9, carrying the sliding door 3, are guided in the channel 7 of the guiding rail 6. Such carriage 9 is illustrated as a whole in FIG. 9 and in details in FIGS. 10 and 11.

The carriage 9 consists of two lateral cheeks 24, 25, which are maintained at a defined distance to each other, corresponding substantially to the thickness of the sliding door 3, by means of a carrying body 26 disposed in the center of the cheeks 24, 25. The cheeks 24, 25 are provided with boreholes 27 at the end region thereof, which boreholes are penetrated by carrying screws 28 passing likewise through the sliding door 3. The heads of the carrying screws 28 are disposed counter-sunk in the cheeks 24, 25, such that they do not protrude from the exterior side of the cheeks 24, 25.

The carrying body 26, disposed in the center between both cheeks 24, 25, substantially presents the shape of a semi-cylinder, the straight side thereof being oriented to the top and the curved side being oriented to the bottom. At the underside, in the region of its vertex, the carrying body 26 is provided with an axle 29 protruding from the carrying body 26 on both sides and extending as far as into the region of the cheeks 24, 25. Carrying rollers 30, located in the apertures 31 in the cheeks 24, 25 and being disposed substantially flush with the exterior surface of the cheeks 24, 25, are supported at the projecting ends of the axle. The carrying rollers 30 protrude from the cheeks 24, 25 at the lower edge, such that they are able to roll on the crowned guiding paths in the channel 7.

When seen from the carrying rollers 30, the lower edges of the cheeks 24, 25 extend in a curve towards the respective ends (see FIGS. 10 and 11), in order to avoid bottoming of the cheeks 24, 25 on the guiding paths of the undercut 8 during the movement of the sliding door 3.

FIG. 12 represents a stopper 23, usable in connection with the guiding rail 6. FIG. 13 shows the positioning of the stopper 23 in the guiding rail 6.

The stopper 23 substantially consists of a U-shaped profile, which is open at the underside, into which bottom 32 clamping members 33 are inserted by means of which the stopper 23 can be tightly clamped or blocked within the guiding rail 6. In the illustrated embodiment example, the clamping members 33 are formed by two nuts, by means of which a clamping part can be pressed against the bottom of channel 7.

FIG. 14 shows a view of the sliding door 3 in the region of the carriage 9. The aperture 34 for the carrying body 26 disposed in the carriage 9 and the through holes 35 for the carrying screws 28 are visible. These through holes 35 are cut out from the sliding door 3 made from glass, they are not drilled.

According to the embodiment example corresponding to FIG. 2, FIG. 15 shows the profile parts 39 and 40, releasable by means of a screw connection 41, which parts, after detaching the profile part 39, allow for connecting the guiding rail 6 at a wall which is inaccessible from the rear side.

FIG. 16 shows the carriage according to FIG. 9 with a riveted connection 42 between the carrying body 26 and the cheeks 24 and 25, as well as the arrow X indicating the restrictedly pivoting distance of the carrying rollers 30.

FIG. 17 shows likewise the restrictedly pivotable support of the axle 29 about the axle 38 passing through the carrying body 26 in the axial direction of the carriage 9.

It has yet to be pointed out that all members in contact with the glass are not directly sitting on the glass, but that a glass protection 36 is provided between the respective member and the glass.

REFERENCES

-   1 lateral panel -   2 lateral panel -   3 sliding door -   4 overpanel -   5 guide device -   6 guiding rail -   7 channel -   8 undercut -   9 carriage -   10 back face -   11 undercut -   12 attachment member -   13 sliding block -   14 attachment bolt -   15 bearing block -   16 cover strip -   17 bushing -   18 screw -   19 decorative cap -   20 spacer sleeve -   21 profile end cap -   22 profile end cap -   23 stopper -   24 cheek -   25 cheek -   26 carrying body -   27 borehole -   28 carrying bolt -   29 axle -   30 carrying roller -   31 aperture -   32 bottom -   33 clamping member -   34 aperture -   35 through-hole -   36 glass protection -   37 cross hole -   38 axle -   39 profile part -   40 profile part -   41 screw connection -   42 riveted connection -   X Arrow 

1.-13. (canceled)
 14. A guide device for a sliding door comprising: first and second parts detachably coupled to one another to configure an elongated rail provided with spaced elongated curved and planar faces, the elongated rail having an elongated inner channel opening outwards between the curved and planar faces upon coupling the first and second parts, the elongated inner channel being provided with a first elongated undercut, and a second elongated undercut provided in the planar face and spaced at about 90° angle from the first elongated undercut; an attachment member engageable in the second elongated undercut and extending laterally therefrom for mounting the elongated rail upon a sub-construction; and at least one carriage for supporting the sliding door, the at least one carriage being mounted within the elongated inner channel and guided along the first elongated undercut.
 15. The guide device of claim 14, wherein the at least one carriage comprises: a carrying body, a first axle extending through carrying body transversely to a rail axis of the elongated rail, a roller unit rotatably mounted to the first axle and guidable along the first undercut, and a second axle extending parallel to the rail axis through the carrying body and through the first axle, the first axle and the second axle being pivotable relative to one another.
 16. The guide device of claim 14, wherein the attachment member comprises a sliding block engaging the second elongated undercut of the elongated rail with play.
 17. The guide device of claim 16, further comprising at least one second attachment member engageable in the second elongated undercut of the elongated rail, the attachment members each comprising a bearing block spaced laterally from the sliding block, and an attachment bolt having one of opposite ends thereof mounted to the bearing block.
 18. The guide device of claim 17, wherein the attachment bolt is eccentric.
 19. The guide device of claim 17, further comprising an elongated cover strip configured to detachably cover the bearing blocks of the attachment members.
 20. The guide device of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of end caps each configured to cover an axial end of the cover strip and the elongated rail.
 21. The guide device of claim 15, wherein the at least one cartridge further comprises: two elongated spaced-apart cheeks spaced laterally equidistantly from the rail axis and flanking the carrying body, and at least two carrying bolts spaced substantially equidistantly from the first axle in opposite directions along the rail axis and penetrating through the two cheeks so as to connect the cheeks together, the roller unit comprising a plurality of rollers rotatably supported on laterally spaced elongated running paths defined by the first elongated under.
 22. The guide device of claim 21, wherein the cheeks each comprise at least two spaced apart apertures configured to receive respective rollers so that each of the plurality of rollers extends substantially flush with an exterior surface of a respective one of the two cheeks.
 23. The guide device of claim 21, wherein the plurality of rollers each comprises a ball and a rolling surface provided with an endless plastic layer.
 24. The guide device of claim 21, wherein the two cheeks each comprise a longitudinally curved edge facing the first elongated undercut.
 25. The guide device of claim 14, wherein the elongated guiding rail being mounted upon spaced apart panels of the substructure, the sliding door and the pair of panels being made from one material or from different materials.
 26. The guide device of claim 25, wherein the one material comprises glass. 